This castle did not look particularly well-defended, but all of us could sense how heavily guarded it was.
On the surface, there were only a few armored knights patrolling, and they did not seem particularly strong. They were even inferior to the Templar Knights I had seen before. But my instincts told me that the guards hidden in the shadows were the truly terrifying ones. The aura they gave off surpassed that of any Templar Knight I had encountered.
There were even one or two whose strength did not seem inferior to that of the Twelve Apostles.
I began to wonder whether experts of that level existed beyond the Twelve Apostles—people who obeyed only their Master and did not truly belong to the Holy See. They were the Master's private property, and their lives and deaths were under the Master's control.
Just as my thoughts were running wild, a burly, bearded man dressed like a farmer walked in from outside.
He looked haggard, his eyes bloodshot, as though he had not slept in a very long time.
He sat down directly in the chair across from us and glanced at the coffee in our hands. "These are freshly ground premium beans. That fellow Yale sent them over. They should be decent, right?"
I had not expected his opening remark to be a comment about coffee.
I nodded. Since he was not getting to the point, neither was I in a hurry. Smiling, I said, "I do not know much about coffee. As you know, we people from Great Xia drink tea more often."
The man paused, then nodded as well. "I know about tea. People from Great Xia are particular about it, and I have heard that you drink tea for the state of mind it brings. I tried it